Salif Keita decries violence against albinos

Malian afro-pop singer, Salif Keïta, has condemned violence perpetrated against albinos.

In a recent concert which brought together afro-pop fans on Fana, 120 km from the capital Bamako, the songwriter, alongside Senegalese musicians: Ismael Lô,and Maah Koudia Keït, as well as Georgian artist Bera, paid tribute to young Ramata Diarra, an albino girl killed in May.

“We are here today to remember Ramata and above all to ensure that justice is done to her,” Tem Fuh Mbuh, program manager for a human rights group in West Africa said.

Dozens of albinos are reportedly killed and their limbs amputated for rituals across the African continent every year.

Salif Keita said, “It means that albinos need safety and health, and that we need an African government to care for albinos, because we have the same rights as everyone else.” 5-year-old Diarra was abducted on May 13 in the middle of the night by armed men while asleep in the family residence. Her beheaded body was found a few hours later next to a mosque. Associations then denounced the “ritual crime” in the run-up to the presidential election.

Also known as the “Golden Voice of Africa”, Salif Keïta’s 45-minute performance threw light on his album, “L’autre blanc”.

The 69-year-old called on other colleagues including Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy and Grammy Award-winning Beninese songwriter Angélique Kidjo, to amplify his cry to end discrimination against albinos.